Fire Emblem Awakening:
by PentasticKenta
Summary: The mark of the Exalt is nothing more than a curse. Those bearing this symbol are bound to the fate that the Prime Angels have laid out for them. {If Fire Emblem were thrown into some twisted AU birthed from my brain, this would be it.}
1. The Story of the Symbol

_The mark of the Exalt is a symbol of peace. It is granted to those with pure hearts at birth. Each action affects the purity of their hearts and when the time comes, when a Prime Angel descends to Earth, they will be confronted with a new destiny. These children, born into the House of Ylisse, the house of purity and peace, will be given the life of a Prime Angel. They will bring peace to all that are worthy and when their time has come...they will join the Prime Angels in the Land of Peace._

"This story has been passed down in our family for generations," a gentle voice speaks softly. A fire in the fireplace lights up the room, sending shadows dancing around. This is not the first time the little boy has heard this tale. He couldn't even begin to count how many times he had heard his father or his mother repeat the story. Neither of his parents were worthy enough to exhibit an Exalt symbol, but their eldest daughter was born with the symbol on her forehead. Their son, the middle child of the three children, was not born with the symbol. Instead, his symbol had surfaced on his right shoulder when he was nearly four.

Now, the eldest daughter, Emmeryn, sat in their family's wide living room. Her back was against the fireplace and her eyes were cast upon her two younger siblings, Chrom and Lissa. Both of them kept their small, eager eyes on their sister. Even though they had heard the story millions of times, it never ceased to amaze them how beautifully Emmeryn could tell the story.

"One day," she continued, smiling softly. "I will take the place of the next Prime Angel. It will be my duty to bring peace to this land. If I am granted power by each of the seven Prime Angels, then I will be blessed with the chance to enter the Land of Peace. As soon as I enter, I will begin my duty as a Prime Angel and watch over the people, maintaining the balance of peace." She stops, releasing a soft sigh. The blonde girl stands up slowly and says, "Well, that's enough stories for tonight. It's time for bed."

"Awe, but I wanted to hear more…" Lissa mumbles, climbing to a standing position on her pudgy legs. Chrom stands up as well, his eyes on Lissa now.

"If we go to sleep now, maybe one of the Prime Angels will visit us in our sleep!" He says enthusiastically. Emmeryn laughs and pats both of them on the head.

"Get to sleep you two. I'll see you in the morning."

Chrom grabs Lissa's hand and heads up the stairs to their room. Emmeryn watches, silently. As soon as they leave her sight, she turns to the fire behind her. Watching the flames eat away at the wood, she can't help but feel a sudden sadness overcome her. Looking back at the stairs, she whispers softly, "...This symbol is nothing more than a curse." Her eyes move down to the wooden floor beneath her.

"One day, I hope they understand that."


	2. Peace Never Lasts

**Author's Note: Before you continue reading, I just wanted to say that the fact that four people liked my story when I managed to upload it, really means a lot to me. I've been going through a lot lately, especially with my writing, and I have really started losing confidence in my skills as a writer. So the fact that four of you have supported me (perhaps more, I'm not sure) is really, really meaningful and I wanted to say thank you. Thank you very, very much!**

The years rolled by faster than anyone in the House of Ylisse could have anticipated. Emmeryn was nearly twenty-four now and it was anticipated that, soon, one of the seven Prime Angels would make their appearance. She had trained for this day for years and practiced peace when others would practice violence. She was the symbol of peace that the entire world needed. However, she was that; a symbol. No one saw her as a person, as a woman that yearned for some sort of solitude. No one except her dear sister and brother.

Chrom was twenty and was currently working on becoming a knight, while Lissa was eighteen and focused on her studies. She held onto dreams of becoming a healer and although the process was hard, she showed great promise already.

The city of Ylisstol was experiencing a high period of peace and the people could not be any happier. Each day was filled with more happiness than the last and it didn't seem to hold any end. These were great times indeed.

Chrom was currently strolling the streets of Ylisstol, Lissa close to his side. He had promised to take her out shopping and although he regretted the decision now, he didn't dare back out. He knew that Lissa would never let it go if he left her now. She'd use this very day against him for years to come.

"Chrom, look!"

He tore his eyes away from a food vendor and locked onto the blonde haired woman. She held up a pink dress and giggled. He raised a single brow and asked, "Do you really like that? It's not really...your color."

Her face twisted into a grimace in a near millisecond and Chrom could almost feel her burning rage. He laughed loudly and moved forward.

"Lissa, come on. You know I was only teasing!" He took the dress from her delicate hands and added, "Did you want me to buy it for you?"

"No." Lissa turns her face away from Chrom. She looks at the other dresses on display and then looks back at her older brother. She smiles and takes the dress back from him, placing it gently down onto the stall. She giggles and asks, "Why don't we try looking for something for Emm?" Her eyes move towards the large, towering shrine that had been built years ago. It was placed in the center of the town plaza so that the citizens could worship whenever they pleased. However, the shrine was heavily guarded and whenever Emmeryn and the High Priests arrived, the entrances were sealed off. No one, not even Lissa, knew what they did behind the closed doors. Emmeyn refused to speak about it. In fact, she refused to speak about anything dealing with the Prime Angels and the Land of Peace.

Lissa turned back to Chrom. His eyes were also fixated on the shrine. He was probably thinking the same thing she was.

"Chrom?" She watched as her older brother fixed his eyes back onto hers. He smiled instantly and said, "Come on. Let's keep looking. Do you think she'd like some jewelry?"

She grinned happily and followed beside her brother. They searched through most of the stalls and at the end of the day, Lissa had bought three, gold bracelets. Each of them had their own symbol as the centerpiece and as such, she planned to give them to her siblings. She hoped that this would, somehow, keep them all connected. No matter what happened.

**Emmeryn:**

"_You will be reborn as an angel. Once this process occurs, you will no longer be able to live the life you once lived. You will become a Prime Angel and after having visited all seven shrines, you will be granted access to the Land of Peace. It is truly an honor that you, Lady Emmeryn, were chosen to fulfill such a role, but...is this really what you want?"_

Emmeryn stared at the statue in front of her. Was this really what she wanted? To become an angel? To live in the Land of Peace and leave everything she loved behind? No one truly knew what the Land of Peace held, but she knew that it was not as glorious as everyone made it out to be. Ever since she was little, she had had nightmares of the land. She had, at one point, dreamed of a land filled with angels. All of them were wise and kind, watching over the humans below with eyes of love and care. However, as she grew, her dreams shaped into nightmares. The land she dreamed of was the same, but there were no angels. It was a dark, horrible place, that had no end. The angels were confined to their own structures and would remain there for all eternity, until their time to return to Earth came. Was that really what she wanted? To be trapped in a place like that until she was summoned, here, to bring yet another soul to that horrible place?

Releasing a soft sigh, she stood up slowly. She had finished her prayers for the day and with each new day, the Calling grew stronger. Every morning, she heard it. The Voice. It called to her, reciting her prayers back to her, and delivering a single word; "Soon…" The Voice was much louder nowadays and would often appear during the day. She knew it was coming. An angel would make its appearance soon and when that day arrived, she would begin her new life. She would set out on her journey, complete all seven of the trails, gain the blessings of the seven Prime Angels, and eventually, sacrifice her soul to the Land of Peace. She would then watch over the humans and help those in need. That was how she would spend the rest of her life.

"...May the winds guide me on my journey and the earth lead me in the right direction. I trust that you will lead me to my destiny. You hold nothing but love for me and as such, I hold nothing but love for you." Emmeryn bowed her head gently to the statue. It was a magnificent structure of an angel. Its wings spread over the small fountain that it stood in and its hands were cupped out in front of it. Within the palms of its hands rested a gold trinket in the shape of the symbol of the Exalt. A shining, red orb had been fitted in the middle of the gold. It was something that Emmeryn had given up years ago as way of connecting to the Prime Angels.

"Lady Emmeryn," a voice whispers. "Are you finished with your prayers?"

Emmeryn turns around and smiles warmly. "Yes, I'm finished. Let's visit the people today and wish them well." The young priest behind her bows his balding head gently. He turns to three more priests, bows his head, and all of them stand from where they had once been crouched on the floor. They form a square around Emmeryn and walk towards the door. The two priests in front push the brilliant doors open and sun leaks in from the outside. A rush of voices and noises fill her ears, but she can hear nothing. Instead, she hears but a single voice, calling to her.

"_Your time has come."_


	3. Hope, Strength, Believe

"What…? You mean it's time already?"

Lissa stood in the living room, her hands clenching onto the bracelets from earlier. Chrom stood to her right, both of them were paying careful attention to their sister, who stood in front of them. Several priests stood in the room as well, their eyes focused on Emmeryn.

"Yes. I received the Calling as soon as I left the shrine. We must go make the preparations at once." Emmeryn's gaze softened gently as she explained everything to Lissa. She loved her siblings more than either of them could ever understand, but she knew better than to tell them the truth. If she told them what the true meaning was to becoming a Prime Angel, neither of them would let her leave.

"Sister," Chrom said suddenly, his gaze surprisingly stern. "Once you've finished with the ritual…" His voice vanished and his eyes fell to the floor in frustration.

"Once I've completed the ritual, we will begin our journey to the east. Frederick will be escorting me to the next temple, Chrom, you have nothing to fear." Emmeryn replied, her smile practically radiating its warmth.

"That's not what I-!"

"Lord Chrom," one of the priests spoke this time, his eyes locked onto the blue haired man. "There is not much time. Lady Emmeryn must be at the ritual as quickly as possible. Surely you understand this."

Chrom clenched his jaw and returned his eyes to Emmeryn. In response, Emmeryn nodded her head gently. She turned to Lissa and lifted a gentle hand to her shoulder.

"I will be return soon." The sentence was soft, hesitant almost and Lissa heard the pain behind it almost immediately. She quickly held up her hand and said, "Wait, Emm! Take one of the bracelets. It's just...so you can remember us on your journey." Her cheeks flushed gently. Despite what Emmeryn said, Lissa trusted her gut. It's tangled, uneasiness sent panic spiraling through her body and she knew, somehow, that Emmeryn could feel this too. Perhaps this was merely proof of their bond as siblings.

Smiling warmly, the oldest of the three took one of the bracelets. She examined it quietly and slipped it onto her right wrist. She looked at her siblings once more, bowed her head gently, and moved towards the door. The priests followed shortly after, while Lissa and Chrom stood still. The door shut behind the small group, leaving the room filled with tension.

"She took the hope bracelet." Lissa said suddenly, looking over at Chrom. Her brother didn't reply, but reached towards the bracelets. He withdrew the bracelet that read strength and slipped it onto his right wrist. His eyes locked onto Lissa's and a brief smile washed over his lips. He walked up the nearby stairs, leaving Lissa to her thoughts.

The youngest of the siblings looked down at the bracelet she was left with and sighed gently.

"Believe, huh?" She looked to the left, where Emmeryn had left just moments ago. Taking a deep breath and releasing it, she whispered, "What am I supposed to believe?"


End file.
